Dare to Love Me

Why in the world would anybody put chains on me.

"I'm tired of people. I'm tired of the yelling and screaming of fans. I'm tired of fake girlfriends. I'm tired of watching you kiss someone else." WeiZhou ranted, sitting on the couch, hands on his hair. "I love travelling, but I'm tired of airports. I'm tired of not being with you, I'm tired of pretending. I just want to be with you, Jingyu, that's all." He looked up, tears falling from his eyes. "I'm tired of managers, of fans. I'm tired of this life."

Jingyu reached out, pulling the sobbing guy into a tight embrace. He felt WeiZhou's arms wrap around him, and so he pulled WeiZhou impossibly closer, into his lap, letting WeiZhou's legs wrap around his torso.

Jingyu rubbed his back carefully with his one arm, other tangled in his long hair. He wanted WeiZhou to cut it weeks ago, but his manager had said to keep it long. The fans liked that better.

Jingyu didn't. He liked it short, and he knew WeiZhou liked that too. It was more manageable, more... Zhou.

Jingyu waited the five minutes until he was done crying, kissing the top of his head and pulling away to look at him.

"Baby." He said in English, moving closer to kiss WeiZhou's forehead, staring into those red eyes, caressing tear-stained cheeks. "What can I do to make you happier?"

WeiZhou shook his head, looking down. "I... I don't know. I just want to escape, you know? No more photo shoots, no more concerts." He sighed. "I know it won't happen. It can't. We're grown men, we chose this type of job."

Jingyu thought for a few seconds before standing up, offering WeiZhou his hand. "Follow me."

WeiZhou took it, letting Jingyu pull him into the bathroom with a pair of scissors from the kitchen. He didn't speak, only watched as Jingyu trimmed his hair, cutting the long parts off. Once he was done, they looked at WeiZhou in the mirror together. WeiZhou opened his mouth to speak, but Jingyu didn't let him start.

"What would everyone say if we ran away, just for a week, and I put a ring on that pretty finger of yours." He said, putting the scissors down and running his hands through WeiZhou's comfortably short hair. "If we ran away. For just a week." He moved closer to WeiZhou's ear, swirling his tongue around the outside of it before placing a kiss on it. "Zhou, run away with me."

Jingyu opened his eyes to see WeiZhou had closed his. "Yes. I want to run away with you."

Jingyu kissed those sweet lips before sliding his hands up Zhou's shirt and starting their vacation.

•••

The road spanned out for miles ahead, no sight of any fans, any manager, or any annoying person to get in their way. Jingyu had turned on his music from an old iPod, which was mainly sugar-sweet love songs including many by Teresa Teng.

Jingyu hummer along, singing sometimes, which made WeiZhou's heart hurt. He loved the way the rasp in Jingyu's voice made every song sound more personal. They had tossed their phones in the backseats, put them on silent, and ignored every incoming call.

WeiZhou stared out the window at the beautiful sights. They had chosen a trip by the ocean, from their home in Beijing to WeiZhou's family, who lived in Shantou, by Hong Kong. It was a large town, not busy but not overrun by tourists, built on the water, outlooking the coast of Taiwan on a good day. WeiZhou had grown up there.

His father worked as a fisherman, out during the day catching fish, back at night to give the fresh catches to WeiZhou's mother, who owned a popular restaurant by the harbour. WeiZhou had worked there until he was 18, then moved to Beijing to begin his acting career. He remained in close touch with his parents, sending them money once they retired.

His father wasn't doing as well as he used to be. He had survived a few diseases already, thanks to his well-paid son, but was still sick. WeiZhou hadn't seen him in a while thanks to his busy schedule, but this time was going to be different.

This time, he was bringing his boyfriend along. And Jingyu, knowing how traditional WeiZhou's parents were, was asking for the family ring. To later slide on WeiZhou's finger and promise him forever.

"What're you thinking about?" Asked Jingyu, pausing his humming to pay attention to WeiZhou.

"My parents. My hometown." He said, turning to look at Jingyu. "I'm so happy to bring you back there. My parents are gonna like you, I know."

"Yeah?" Jingyu smiled softly, focused on both the road and WeiZhou. "You don't think they'll mind that I'm..."

"A guy? No, they won't care. As long as you really love me." WeiZhou spoke the words carefully. "And I know that you do."

Jingyu took a hand of the steering wheel, using it to smooth his thumb over WeiZhou's cheekbone, resuming his humming as a new song came on, this one in English.

"How's your learning going?" WeiZhou asked, motioning with his head to the speaker. Jingyu had been trying to learn English for a while, taking classes every few days. WeiZhou knew it pretty fluently, and they sometimes talked in English at home so Jingyu could learn more.

"Good. I know more now." He said, beginning to sing along to the chorus of the song.

"That's why I'm easy,

I'm easy like Sunday morning."

"That's why I'm easy,

I'm easy like Sunday morning..." They sang the last line together, WeiZhou starting on the next verse.

"Why in the world would anybody put chains on me,

I paid my dues to make it."

"Everybody wants me to be what they want me to be." Sang Jingyu, making WeiZhou smile when he didn't mess up at all. "I'm not happy when I try to fake it."

WeiZhou put his hand on Jingyu's shoulder, feeling the firm warmth of his muscles under his tight t-shirt. They sang together, smiling at each other.

Slowly moving forward. Slowly moving together.